a6m5zerosen

I have an '85 Custom Cruiser that has the "Y67 reminder package". What this consists of is the world's most annoying chime module that sounds EVERY time you start the car. It is tied into various systems and is designed to chime at the rate of 300 chimes a second (!) in the event of a loss of oil pressure, brake pressure, low engine coolant level, high engine coolant temperature, low alternator voltage, seatbelt not buckled, etc. My car has the guage package, & warning lights as well for oil pressure, engine temp, low coolant, seat belts, brake warning, etc. It also chimes at 150 chimes a minute (!) for key left in the ignition, & 50 chimes a minute (tolerable) for low fuel level & headlights left on. Has anyone ever played around withthis thing? I would like it if all it did was chime when the headights are left on-everything else has a guage AND a light to keep you informed as to what's going on. Is it possible to disable a portion of the chimes in this unit?

Lady72nRob71

I have had a bit of experience with these chimes and certain functions can be disabled by removing some wires from the chime box plug. However, if all the systems on the car are working, fasten your belts before starting, and you do not leave the lights on or key in ignition, it cannot be that annoying - or is it?? I even put one of these boxes in Lady...
Do you have a service manual? It has the schematic and shows what wires do what.
Getting to the thing might be the hard part (if like on the Cutlass).
I think they are pretty cool items to have.

a6m5zerosen

It isn't the chimes so much as it is the volume of the chimes-it is loud enough to make you wince. I have never seen a car (and I have owned many, many GM cars) that had a volume anywhere remotely close to this one.

yzzerdd

Huh. Never heard of that. My Custom Cruiser (83) has a guage package and an information center. I get one chime(lasts a few seconds) for low fuel, and then no more chimes for it until I turn off the car and back on. It dings when I leave my headlights on, too. Not too loudly, though. Hmm...It has the coolant, oil, voltage, charge, brake, security(never seen it light up though, no alarm installed) lights, and as far as I know most of them have a chime associated(well, I don't get one for e-brake engaged). Not sure though, I've never had low oil pressure, voltage, coolant low/high, etc.

Personally, I'd trace to where the unit is, and unplug it. I don't think it has it's own special fuse.

--Ryan

Lady72nRob71

Not sure which type your car has, but if it has an actual little speaker in the box, taping over the speaker holes would reduce the volume a bit.

joe_padavano

I'll trade you. My chime module has gone bad and you can barely hear it.

Allan R

Your chime module (also called a tone generator by GM) should be a "squarish" unit about 3.5" X 3.5" X 1" (i think its either white or reddish) held in place just above and to the left of the fuse box. Easy to find if it's bonging. Be glad it works, the one on my 98 was a PITA and inconsistent, but the chimes weren't all that loud, just enough to be heard when the car was operating and taking into account heater and low radio volume. If it's just too noisy, you can wrap a little sound insulation around it and tape it. I don't believe these units have a "speaker" that can just be taped over, but check anyway. If the noise gets to be really annoying, go to to the wrecker and get a replacement. They should be interchangeable on 88,98, Lesabre, Park Avenue, Custom Cruiser in the 1982-85 range. If yours is that loud there might be something wrong with it.

Lady72nRob71

I do know many (but not all) later years DO use little speakers; for the standard chime box anyways. I pulled replacements for my 86 Cutlass from late 90's Caprices and firebirds also (same size and terminals, different plastic molding). I yanked one from an 87 Buick full size wagon that had a box with a speaker (I opened it up to verify) and it had holes all around it looked like a pocket radio). That one went into Lady.

The earlier years (before '87) used a foam gasket and a metal disk as a 'speaker' so when the foam deteriorates, the thing cannot be heard. Get a later box for a trouble free replacement.

EDIT - curiosity might have killed the cat, but satisfaction broght him back...
I went out to look and opened up the gold colored chime box from the firebird or caprice - it has just a metal disk for a noise maker like the 80's style, BUT the insulator is a thin hard plasic and not the troublesome GM foam that deteriorates in 10 years.

So given the MANY different styles I have seen of these things, the foam problem was remedied in about 87 or 88, so pull a replacement from these years or newer.

If the thing got too loud (uncommon failure mode), best to find one from a bone yard and just swap it out.